Vehicle rack

Abstract

A vehicle rack system including a framework including a driver's side portion, a passenger's side portion and a front portion extending therebetween. The driver's side and the passenger's side portions being triangular in configuration and having a lower frame piece for mounting to a side bed of a vehicle and a downwardly sloping upper frame piece. The upper frame pieces of the driver's side portion and the passenger's side portion may diverge in a rearward direction from the front portion. The system includes a covering for providing a sheltered environment for the vehicle's cargo bed. The covering includes driver's side and passenger's side panels that are removably insertable into the side portions. The covering also includes a cover spanning between the driver's side portion and the passenger's side portion. It is contemplated that the driver's side portion may be constructed as a mirror image of the passenger's side portion.

1 . A vehicle rack system, comprising:
 a. a framework including a driver's side portion, a passenger's side portion and a front portion extending therebetween, each of said driver's side portion and said passenger's side portion being triangular in configuration and having a lower frame piece for mounting to a side bed of the vehicle and a downwardly sloping upper frame piece; and   b. a covering for providing a sheltered environment for the vehicle's cargo bed, said covering including:
 a driver's side panel removably insertable into said driver's side portion; 
 a passenger's side panel removably insertable into said passenger's side portion; and 
 a cover spanning between said driver's side portion and said passenger's side portion. 
   
   
   
       2 . A vehicle rack system according to  claim 1  wherein said driver's side portion is constructed as a mirror image of said passenger's side portion. 
   
   
       3 . A vehicle rack system according to  claim 1  including a cargo mounting system removably mounted to said framework. 
   
   
       4 . A vehicle rack system according to  claim 3  wherein said cargo mounting system includes a driver's side rail received in a first track formed in the upper frame piece of said driver's side portion, a passenger's side rail received in a second track formed in the upper frame piece of said passenger's side portion, and a pair of clamp pieces associated with each for said driver's side rail and said passenger's side rail, said clamp pieces for attaching at least one cargo mounting bar at selected positions along the upper frame pieces of said driver's side portion and said passenger's side portion. 
   
   
       5 . A vehicle rack system according to  claim 1  wherein said cover includes a front cover portion and a top cover portion. 
   
   
       6 . A vehicle rack system according to  claim 5  wherein said top cover portion includes a plurality of cover panels. 
   
   
       7 . A vehicle rack system according to  claim 5  wherein said top cover portion is at least partially retractable at discrete locations between said driver's side portion and said passenger's side portion. 
   
   
       8 . A vehicle rack system according to  claim 1  wherein the upper frame pieces of said driver's side portion and said passenger's side portion diverge from one another in a rearward direction from said front portion.